Of Course, Of Course
by GeneralUnrest
Summary: [One-shot - A few spoilers here and there.] - Worries and sour thoughts get the better of Flynn for one night; Yuri steps in to set things straight.


The camp was restless that night. The tents, pitched and leaning just slightly with the wind, were already filled with the rest of the soldiers for the evening. With the exception of a few men on guard shifting or pacing, it was quiet.

_ I'm restless, not them. _

Flynn attempted sleep. When sleep didn't work, resting in place seemed like a good idea. Eventually the sensation of all his weight against the ground drove him into a deeper frustration and forced him up. He suited up into his armor; taking the time to make sure his tunic was straightened out and looking presentable. If any of the men asked, he felt he should take a look around camp and the area for himself. Hopefully that was convincing enough. A fidgety leader made for uneasy soldiers and they already had enough on their hands.

Aimless, he wandered out of his tent, letting his feet carry him where they willed. To a guard, he simply nodded and that was enough as he passed by. The small gesture was a relief. Somewhere in there was his voice for leading, for giving out orders, but it felt like it was stuck in the back of his throat. The sensation swelled and he cursed himself for not getting some water before heading out. It was far too late to turn around and pass that guard, pass any knight, again.

Slowly he turned his head, looking back to the camp with a heavy feeling in his eyelids. How long had this been going on? It didn't feel clear anymore: Rouse the troops, make to destination one or the camping point for that day, rest and do it over again. For all he knew, they could have been going in circles for the past few days. He shook his head and pressed his hand to his forehead.

Two days and one night. That's how long it had been.

He forced himself back facing forward, away from the tents and out toward the cliffs. The wind blew a little harder out here, rustling through his hair and setting his cape fluttering up behind him. It was refreshing, but colder than he guessed. The draft stung his eyes so he squinted against; stopping him walk a couple yards short of the edge of the cliff. For a second he wondered what was over the end, but it was fairly clear once the thought passed.

Faintly he heard footsteps in the grass behind him and he pivoted that direction. His hand grasped at the blade slung to his hip, but didn't get to drawing it. In the dark it was hard to recognize the form, but once they closed a bit more of the distance between them Flynn knew.

"Yuri...? What are you doing here?"

Yuri stopped a few feet short of him, his expression obscured in the lack of light. Even then, by his tone of voice Flynn guessed something was wrong.

"What? You're not happy to see me? That's kind of a crappy welcome, Flynn."

Flynn hesistated to answer for a second, instead relaxing his grip on his blade and taking a few steps Yuri's way. Yuri followed his lead and met him partly, but still leaving a safe amount of space between them. It should have been obvious, but Flynn only then noticed that Yuri's blade rested lazily on his shoulder, glinting in the moonlight. It seemed like something was splattered on it. Probably blood.

"What happened to you? Where's everyone else?" Flynn asked, his voice lowered as he glanced around. He really was all alone.

Yuri's gaze wandered to his shoulder, but only remained momentarily. "Fought some monsters on my way." The tone was bland and informative; making nothing of it, as usual. "Not like I could get stuck on them and not make it to you."

Relaxing slightly, Flynn smiled even though the expression felt oddly foreign. "I'm glad you're alright. But it sounds like you had something important to say if you came out here in the middle of the night like this."

"I do. It really couldn't wait any longer," Yuri replied, tone still on the flat side, but there was a shift in the look in his eyes.

"It's urgent...I'll do whatever I can to help, Yuri, what is it?"

The wait between question and answer drew itself out like some kind of verbal stand off. Eventually, Yuri's eyed fixed on Flynn's, the look cold.

"What're you doing, Flynn? I didn't think you'd let it get to this point but..." He shook his head and removed his gaze, but only to turn it back on Flynn, twice as harsh. "What happened to your promise? Making changes? Making it better? You haven't done a damn thing."

Flynn wasn't sure if he still had legs underneath him. Whatever was holding him up it was out of his control. Somewhere in his control center, he managed to eke out words and straighten up a little at the spine. "Yuri...I haven't forgotten our promise or anything like that! I'm still trying. I will fulfill all of it. I know it won't be instantly, but I can make it happen." That feeling was welling up in the back of his throat again. He got out that much, hopefully that would put whatever spurred Yuri there to rest.

"You want more time? How much more time are you going to waste, Flynn?" Yuri took a few more steps into Flynn's space. He wasn't surprised to have him in his face; he was used to it by now. This meant confrontation and he was serious. "For every second you spend messing around you know there's nobles hurting people; people in the Lower Quarter suffering and dying. Why isn't that better yet Flynn?"

"I know," came Flynn's answer, quiet, getting stuck in his throat on the way out to the point he nearly choked on it. "Yuri, our promise means everything to me. I'm still seeing it through."

Yuri leaned in closer, gesuring off to the side with his sword. "If you're following through with it then you're doing a crappy job. Saying you will and then not doing anything doesn't make you any better than Cumore or Ragou. Acting like you're in this for the people, taking up a big fancy title, but really you haven't done a damn thing, Flynn. You're not any better than them or Alexei either." Words poured out of Yuri's mouth, hitting fast and hard right into the knight's chest. His eyes grew wide, his face frozen in a mess of pain and shock. There was nothing worse he could have heard from him. He couldn't argue; he didn't know how anymore.

_ That can't be true..._

He may have uttered his friend's name, but it all ran together with the scrambling of thoughts, denials, acceptances and doubts in his mind. The look on Yuri's face darkened; his eyes cold, uncaring.

"You failed me, you failed them, Flynn. There's no reason for you to do this anymore." His voice was low, almost growled out. Yuri took that final step betwen them, noses almost touching. "I'll finish it." In a fast motion, Yuri's fist connected with Flynn's gut causing him to stumble back. Reflexively, he reached for his blade, but Yuri already had his drawn and slashed it across his chest down toward his side.

Thoughts wild, erratic, he tried to put the pieces together; to figure out something through the pain. Heal it. Draw his blade. Do something, but instead all he did was grope at his wound and steady himself against the cliff's edge.

His voice comes out as stern as he could muster, still more desperate than anything else. "Yuri, you know...you know all that isn't true. I won't make their mistakes, I can't and I haven't Yuri...please. I would never do that to you..."

In his friend's eyes he could see the rising anger and the incoming snap. "You're too late. I'll take care of it..." His next words were muddled and hard to make out. Flynn swore it was an apology, but the strike unbalanced him and he slipped off the cliff. He tried to right himself, grabbing frantically for the ledge. Looking up he saw Yuri, a dead, imparital look in his gaze.

Flynn dropped.

_ "Flynn...hey Flynn!" _

The familiar voice startled him. His eyes flitted open, seeing his hands grasping tightly at the fabric of Yuri's open tunic. His breaths came out a little heavy and fast, but slowly as he put his surroundings together, he quieted it.

"Yuri...? I was..."

"You grabbed onto me so hard you woke me up," he answered groggily, sitting up on one arm to get a better look at him.

Flynn loosened his hold on him, shying away slightly. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize..." For a few seconds, Flynn sought out words, struggling to find some way to verbalize his thoughts. Yuri waited out the pause with the same dazed and tired look on his face. The look turned more attentive when Flynn attempted to speak again.

"Yuri...am I...doing okay?"

"You were fine until the whole grabbing thing."

"No no...I mean, in everything else. Outside. Leading, changing things..."

Yuri's gaze wandered up to the ceiling as he worked out the meaning and hummed slightly. It took him a moment, but his fixed his eyes back down on Flynn and slowly a small smile appeared on the edge of his lips.

"'Course. You're fine, Flynn. Now..." He dropped onto his side more comfortably again, stretching out as he did. "Go back to sleep."

_ Of course?_

Flynn paused there, letting himself settle down once more. He watched Yuri who already seemed like he'd fallen back to sleep; trying to pick apart his phrasing. It didn't do much good. He meant that and just that.

_ Of course, of course._

He didn't need to say anymore than that. Motions gentle so as to not disturb him, Flynn settled next to him a little closer, letting himself try and get back to sleep.


End file.
